It starts with an honest assessment of what the brand actually currently represents to customers, employees and the general public. It is only from here that you can identify the opportunities or needs for realignment and do so through the lens of a much more consciously aware society.
The pandemic fundamentally shifted the way brands talk to consumers. The influx of the economy and extreme political polarization, accelerated by the pandemic, increasingly influenced consumers to shop based on their social values – actualizing when protestors took to the streets over racial injustice after the murder of George Floyd.
Our research at Nielsen shows that globally LGBTQ+ people felt the best way to improve inclusion in the media was to avoid stereotyping and tropes. That means that marketers have to get to know the community they’re trying to reach. You can’t do that one time a year. You can’t do that by speaking to just one segment of a population. Keep it intersectional, informed by the community and closely tied to what matters to them.